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Of all of the new features being incorporated into the PlayStation 4, it’s the humble Share button that’s probably got the most press. The simple input will allow you to capture, edit, and upload footage on the fly, and Gears of War developer Cliff Bleszinski – who’s now a free agent after exiting Epic Games last year – believes that the functionality could play a pivotal role in helping Sony to reclaim its crown.

“I think those who get it with the next generation will get the idea of connectivity and sharing and allowing the user to build the content,” the often outspoken developer told Engadget. “Somebody posted a video at the top of Reddit of somebody [doing] a 50-limo race in Just Cause 2, and it was hilarious. Bugs notwithstanding, there's a direct correlation between how great your game is and how many viral videos it can make. Honestly, whoever embraces that for this next generation of games on console is going to win.”

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Bleszinski added that the indie development scene will prove equally important, and he praised Sony for embracing that side of the industry. However, he did point out that he feels that there’s a lot more excitement surrounding the virtual reality headset Oculus Rift than next generation consoles. “I have a lot of respect for Sony and Microsoft, but it's weird that I see a lot more buzz for the Rift than anything else right now,” he said. “That's a sign of something.”

We don’t necessarily agree with the developer’s latter point, but we think he’s right that social aspects will be imperative in the next generation. The good news is that Sony appears to have its finger on the pulse – we’ll have to wait a few more days to see if Microsoft’s been equally forward-thinking.

[source engadget.com]